Ink roller for printing machines



Dec. 12, 1933. A. .1. HORTON INK ROLLER FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 11, 1928 Patented Dec. 12, 1933 UNITED STATES INK ROLLER FOR PRINTING MACHINES Albert J. Horton, White Plains, N. Y., assignor to R. Hoe & 00., Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York; Irving Trust Company,

receiver Application October 11, 1928. Serial No. 311,846

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to inking rollers for printing machines.

Rollers employed for distributing ink on the ink cylinders of printing machines and for transferring it from the ink cylinder to the printing plates, are usually made with a tubular body or core and integral extended shafts which rotate in bearings called roller sockets which are mounted on the frame at each side of the machine.

10 These tubular cores are usually covered with a well known roller composition or with rubber, and as the bearings are adjusted to cause a relatively heavy pressure of the inking rollers against the cylinders which they engage, a considerable l5 amount of friction and consequent wear in the roller sockets results, and unnecessary power is used to drive them.

In cleaning the press, it is necessary to remove the inking rollers and therefore excessive weight in the rollers is objectionable.

Inking rollers have heretofore been made in which the body of the roller was carried on ball bearings supported on a stationary shaft extending through the body of the roller and supported in the usual manner. The great length of the shaft and the fact that the hearings were so far from its ends required that it be made of relatively large cross section in order to provide the necessary rigidity. This resulted in objectionable weight and some inking rollers are now made with ball bearings that are carried on a built up shaft that has end sections of the usual construction and which provide seats for the bearings.

In the space between the bearings the shaft is cut away and a tubular section inserted which is secured to the solid end portions. This provides a shaft construction that partially avoids the objection to the excessive weight of the solid shaft, but the invention disclosed herein constitutes a further improvement in that a long tubular portion is employed giving greater rigidity with less weight of material, and as the bearings for the rotating body of the roller are both 5 supported on the tubular portion of the shaft, they are held in more accurate alignment than is possible with the construction using bearings mounted on separate shaft ends that are connected by a tubular center section.

The object of the invention is to provide an inking roller that can be operated with the minimum expenditure of power, and that will have the minimum weight consistent with strength.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an inking roller of generally improved construction, whereby the device will be simple, durable and inexpensive in construction, as well as convenient, practical, serviceable and eflicient in its use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts, and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that various changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a view of the improved inking roller ready for attachment to the printing machine; and

Figure 2 is an enlarged view partly in section showing the details of construction of the supporting shaft, one of the bearings, and the adjacent portion of the roller.

Referring to the drawing, 11 indicates the composition covering which forms the working surface of the inking roller and which runs in contact with the inking cylinder or the printing plate. The numeral 12 indicates the tubular core or shell on which the covering is molded and into which the receptacle 13 for the bearings is fitted. Various forms of bearings may be employed; that shown in the drawing being a conventional type of ball bearing having outer members 14, inner members 15, and balls 16.

The core is formed with a shoulder at 17 and a screw collar 18 is threaded into the core and fastened by the screw 19. The receptacle 13 is fitted to receive the ball race 14 and the screw collar holds the race in the receptacle and the latter in the core.

The tubular shaft 20 is fitted to the support collar 21 which is fitted to receive the cone 15 of the bearing.

A chamber 22 provides space for a suitable lubricant and a washer 23 serves to prevent it from working out along the shaft. It will be understood that a duplicate bearing and mountings for it are used at the opposite end of the roller.

The tubular shaft is extended beyond the body of the roller and fitted with gudgeons 24 which are shaped the same as the ends of the usual form of solid roller so that the roller may be interchangeable with those now in use. These gudgeons may be secured to the tube by brazing or any convenient means.

It will be noted that even should there be any misalignment of the tubular shaft and the gudgeons, it will in nowise affect the alignment of the bearings.

Wha; I claim is:

1. In an inking roller for a printing machine having roller sockets; a tubular core having a composition covering, a tubular shaft having ends projecting exteriorly of said core, bearings interposed between the core and the shaft, the outer members of the bearings being supported within the core, and the inner members of the bearings being supported on the shaft, and gudgeons v secured to the ends of the shaft outside the bearings and adapted to be secured to' the roller sockets.

2. In an inking roller fora printing. press having roller sockets, a tubular core havinga composition covering, bearing receptacles within the ends of the core, a tubular shaft-having ends projecting exteriorly of said core, bearings interposed bet-ween the core and the shaft, the outer bearing members being held within the receptacles, bearing supports on the shaf arrangedto support the inner bearing membersrinaccurate alignment, and gudgeons secured to the ends of said shaft outside thebearings 'and adaptedtoifitthe roller sockets whereby the inking roller may be sup ported, .t. f;.

3. In a roller for a printing machine-a tubular core, a tubularshaft having ends projecting-exteriorly of said core, bearings .having outer memin the machine. 2

4. In an'inking roller for a printing-machine, a tubular core, a tubular shaft=having ends pro.- truding out'of said tubular core and having gudgeons fitted within. its ends, bearings. having outer members secured'to theatubularcoreand inner members positioned on-thetubu1ar shaft at points spaced away-fromthe. gudgeons. v

5. In an inking roller for a printing machin a shell having a resilient covering, receptacles fitted Within the ends of the shell, outer bearing members fitted to the receptacles, a shaft having solid ends and a tubular center portion, said solid .ends projecting exteriorly of said shell, inner bearing members supported on the tubular portion of the shaft and collars adapted to hold the bearings in the receptacles; said receptacles and said collars being arranged to seal the bearings both inside and outside.

6.. In an inking roller for a printing machine, incombination a tubular core, a tubular shaft, said tubular shaft being concentrically positioned in and having ends protruding out of said tubular core, the tubular shaft being supported on bearings arranged in receptacles directly engaged against the inner wall of the tubular core and confined against shoulders formed in the said inner Wall by collars threadedly fastened in said tubularcore'said collars securing said bearings Within said receptacles, and gudgeons secured to the protruding ends of said tubular shaft; said gudgeons serving directly as means whereby the inking roller may be supported.

.7. 'Inan inking roller for a printing machine. in combination atubular core, a tubular shaft, said tubular shaftbeing concentrically positioned in and having ends protruding outof said tubular core; thetubular shaftbeing supported on bear.- ingrncans' arranged in receptacles directly engaged against the inner wall of the tubular core and confinedagainst-shoulders formed in the said inner. wall by collars threadedlyfastened in said tubular core, saidcollars securing said bear,- ingswithin said receptacles and having lubricantcontaining and sealing means arrangedtherewith,- and gudgeons secured to the protruding ends of said iubular shaft; said'gudgeons serving directly as means whereby the inking roller may be supported. 1, r

ALBERT J. HORTON. 

